


The Unloved

by Aeltari



Series: Lambert and Ykaterina [3]
Category: Wiedźmin | The Witcher (Video Game), Wiedźmin | The Witcher - All Media Types
Genre: Botchling, F/M, Fear/Comfort, Ghosts, Monsters, a day in the life, compassion - Freeform, lubberkin
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-22
Updated: 2016-09-22
Packaged: 2018-08-16 16:46:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,175
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8109976
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aeltari/pseuds/Aeltari
Summary: Ykaterina is confronted by one of the Conjunction's more horrifying monsters!(A stand alone adventure of Lambert and Ykaterina, outside of The Heart Of A Wolf)





	

**Author's Note:**

> This came out of a Tumblr word prompt. The word was "lubberkin".

“I just want to get off my horse,” groaned Ykaterina.  Every muscle in her body seemed to be aching. They had been on the road for 8 hours, resting only to let the horses drink.

“Well we can stay at this Inn tonight,” said Lambert.  “Sorry Katie-Kat. I forget you aren’t a witcher with the powers of awesome, like me.”

“Oh shut it, Lambert,” she said testily. “I just want to have a bath and get into bed.”

“What about food? I’m fucking _starving_.” 

“I don’t care about food, I just want to sleep.”

It was the wee hours of the morning and Ykaterina awoke and untangled herself from both the bedsheets and Lambert.  He murmured something in his sleep and rolled over, curling up on the opposite side.  She dropped a kiss on his head and got out of bed, her previous statement on not caring about food coming back to haunt her.

There were left overs from Lambert’s meal and she picked at it but what she really wanted was some fresh fruit.  She had seen a basket of some in the dining area and although it would not be serviced, it would still be open to guests.

A few minutes later, stepping outside into the foggy air with the apple she had collected, Ykaterina breathed in the fresh damp air and closed her eyes. 

Her skin prickled and she was sure something was watching her. It was hard to see in the near darkness but the feeling was acute and there was no mistaking it. Fates knew what could be out there and she turned back to the door to return to her room.

And stopped dead.

Something was floating in the doorway.

She had thought the Leshen to be the most horrifying creature she had ever seen but this thing was beyond even that.  She began to tremble with fear, unsure of what to do.  It was definitely a spirit of some sort, nearly transparent and glowing. But it appeared like something out of a nightmare.

It would have looked almost cherubic if not for its hideous face. The body was chubby like that of a baby, but the head was that of a monster. Big and bulbous with swollen protruding eyes, no nose to speak off, and a huge gaping mouth. Something was wrapped around it’s neck and draped down its body.

It watched her. She watched it.

_I can’t get back in with this monster standing here. But how do I fight a ghost?_

“L…Lambert,” she croaked helplessly.  There was no way he could hear her.

“Go away,” she said to it and began backing up.  The thing moved with her.  “I just want to go back inside. I’m not going to do anything to anyone I want to go back to bed. Ok? Just…leave me alone.”

It raised its arms and floated towards her.  Ykaterina shrieked, dropped her apple and nearly tripped over it as she backed up further. “Get away!”  Turning and running, she tried to spy a way into the Inn from another part of the building.

A small side door met her eyes, most likely a servant’s entrance and she ran for it, hoping fervently that it wasn’t locked.

It was open and she gratefully fell inside, slamming it shut behind her. Realizing the thing was a ghost and could probably phase right through the door, she dashed back up the stairs to the room.

“Lambert!” she cried.  “Lambert! There’s a ghost outside, it tried to get me!”

The witcher was instantly awake, his hair standing up on end in various places, and his pupils dilated completely in the near darkness. “What the fuck Katie-Kat? Ghost? Like a wraith? Where?!”

She pointed at the door, shaking with adrenaline. “Not a wraith but…it was horrible. I don’t know how to kill ghosts, please Lamby, get rid of it!”

He was on his feet in a heartbeat, pulling on his shorts and pants and grabbing his silver sword. “Stay here!” he ordered her.

“Like hell I will! The safest place I can think of is at your side!”

“Get behind me and don’t fuck around,” he said firmly.

The witcher and the sorceress professor crept down the stairs and towards the front door. Lambert opened it cautiously and stepped outside.  “There’s nothing here Katie-Kat. It’s foggy, are you sure you didn’t just see an animal or some shit?”

“The thing was no animal. It was see through and horrifying!” She walked outside to join him and they wandered a few paces forward.  Suddenly Ykaterina shrieked and pointed.  “There!  There it is!”

She felt Lambert turn beside her, then he lowered his sword and sighed.  “Katie-Kat…that’s not a monster. It’s a fucked up ghost but it won’t hurt you.”

She stared at him and took his arm, resting her forehead against it, refusing to look at the thing. “Get rid of it, please.”

“Come on. Watch.” He pulled away from her and walked towards the apparition.  It floated to him with its arms open, as it had towards Ykaterina. 

“Hey little guy,” said Lambert softly.  The ghost rested its little hands on either side of his face.  “Yeah, I know, this would have been your home.”

The creature floated there in front of Lambert for a moment, then moved towards Ykaterina.  She swallowed hard and whined slightly with fear and trepidation.

“It’s alright Katie-Kat. Ever heard of a lubberkin?”

“Yes,” she whispered.  “Is that what this is? I thought they were…pretty…”

The little ghost floated towards her and laid its hands on her face too. It felt cold. She felt such a sadness emanating from the creature that tears filled her eyes. “They are unwanted, unloved babies aren’t they?”

“Yeah the botchlings are. Stillborn or just abandoned to die and not given a proper burial. No kid should suffer that. It fucking sucks. Guess someone here in the family has a dark secret but a witcher probably broke the curse on the botchling and turned it into this lubberkin. Lives here now as a guardian.”

Ykaterina raised a hand to touch it but her hand fell through empty air.  “I’m so sorry,” she whispered to it. To her surprise, the feeling from the creature changed from sadness to joy and it quickly floated around her, then disappeared.

Lambert walked back and embraced her.  “I sometimes forget you don’t know all about the monsters, Katie-Kat. I figure you learned everything I did at that fancy school of yours. Maybe you need to sit in on some of my classes. Hate to think those little shits know more than you do!”

“I was never interested in learning about them because I never thought I needed the knowledge. I was wrong. Maybe I do need to check it out. I’ll make sure to be the biggest pain in the ass student you ever had!”

Lambert laughed and took her hand, leading them back inside and to their room, where he snuggled her and they fell asleep.


End file.
